Product Description

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Anna Prentiss has never wanted to be anything but a nurse. Before she can start school in New York, however, her brother sends her to Cades Cove, deep in the Smoky Mountains, to spend a summer apprenticing to the local midwife. Anna is determined to prove herself and then head to the big city.

Publisher's Description

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In the first book in the Smoky Mountain Dreams series, acclaimed author Sandra Robbins weaves a tale of love, loss, and God's faithfulness in every circumstance.

Anna Prentiss has never wanted to be anything but a nurse. Before she can start school in New York, however, her brother sends her to Cades Cove, deep in the Smoky Mountains, to spend a summer apprenticing to the local midwife. Anna is determined to prove herself and then head to the big city.

But nothing could have prepared Anna for the beauty of the Cove, or the community and friendships she finds there. And she certainly wasn't prepared for Simon Martin, the handsome young minister, or the feelings he arouses in her. Has God's plan for Anna changed? Or is she just starting to hear Him clearly?

Angel of the Cove is a great reminder of how people lived in those days in the mountains. I felt a connection with the characters. I even found myself tear up a few times. I really enjoyed Angel of the Cove. Actually, I enjoyed it so much, I ordered the second book in the series. Highly recommended.

They walked a short distance up the creek bank until they came to a spot where the limestone formations branched out into the water. The trail climbed at this point across the rocks, and Anna viewed the path with uncertainty.

Simon reached his hand out toward Anna. "Come on. There's a great view of the creek from up here."

Anna hesitated. "It's too steep. I don't think I can make it."

He continued to hold his hand out to her. "I'll pull you up, but be careful. The moss on the rocks makes it slippery.

She grabbed his hand, and he gripped her fingers. With careful steps he guided her to the top of the outcropping until they stood looking down to the water eight feet below. He released her as she looked around, her eyes wide.

"It feels like we're alone in the world, doesn't it?"

He stared at her, unable to make himself look away. "I wanted to bring you here to see this, Anna." She tilted her head and looked into his eyes. He swallowed. "I told you about my parents the day you were at John and Martha's, how my grandfather didn't want my mother to stay in the Cove. She wanted to stay, but she hated to defy her father. My father brought her here to see Abram's Creek. He thought if she fell in love with the beauty of the cove, she'd never leave him.

Anna let her gaze drift over the rocks and the tumbling water below them. "It worked because you and John are still here."

"Yes, we're still here."

She turned to him. "Thank you for bringing me to a place so special to your parents. I think this is my favorite place in the Cove too. I'll never forget it."

He'd failed again. He thought maybe the magic that Abram's Creek had worked on his mother would also work on Anna, but it hadn't. His chest tightened at the thought the he would probably never be here with her again. He had nothing left to convince her to stay.

"We'd better go," He said.

She nodded and turned to leave. Without warning her foot slipped on the wet rock and she lurched forward. He grabbed her and jerked her back before she toppled over the edge to the creek below.

He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her shaking body. His heart pounded in his chest and he tighted the embrace. Her cheek lay next to his mouth, and he whispered in her ear. "You scared me."

Her shaking arms went up to encircle his neck. "Thank you, Simon. I would have gone over if you hadn't caught me."

He pulled back from her and gazed down into her face. She returned his stare with unblinking eyes. Suddenly he didn't care if she was leaving or not. This was the woman he loved, and he wanted her to return his love.

"Anna, I've tried to just be your friend, but I don't think I can."

Her lips trembled. "Simon..."

He tightened his arms around her. "Anna, you belong here in Cades Cove with me. I can't believe God brought you hear without there being a purpose in it."

Tears stood in her eyes. "Simon..."

He clenched his teeth. "You don't want to go to New York, and you know it. You're commited to something you decided when you were a child. Well, you're a woman now. You can make your own decisions, Anna."

She closed her eyes and a tear trickled out of the side. Then she took a deep breath and stared up at him. Her arms tightened around his neck.

His eyes went to her mouth, and his lips descended toward hers. She lifted her head, welcoming his kiss.

Meet The Characters:

Anna Prentiss: A dreamer since childhood, Anna has always wanted to become a nurse. Her determination to make it happen is obvious to everyone around her. She is a strong woman and takes on every challenge that comes her way. As tough as life is in the Cove, Anna proves she is tougher. A woman of faith, Anna only needs to learn to hear God and let him guide her in His plan for her instead of trying to make her own way.

Simon Martin: Even though Simon is a man of strong faith he struggles with self doubts. He questions God about His plan for the life he seems to be called to live, even though his dreams are leading him in another direction. Simon is loyal, trustworthy and always there for the community of Cades Cove.

Granny: The local midwife of Cades Cove, Granny is held in very high esteem by the members of the community. Her skills as a midwife is well known and her talent for teaching is respected by Anna. Granny is struggling with secrets of her own and relies on God to provide whatever she may need to survive daily life in the Cove.

My Thoughts:

This is a story I really looked forward to reading because it is set in the Great Smokey Mountains, practically my favorite place in the world. I fell in love with them when I was a child and that love has only grown since that time. I remember the ramshackle cabins dotting the beautiful hillsides that never seemed to end. Sandra Robbins captured that perfectly in Angel Of The Cove. The detail she used to describe the birthing process in the 1800's was very informative. I learned alot about midwifery that I never knew and it gave me a new respect for both the midwife and the mother.

The love story between Anna and Simon was beautiful but, often times, repetitive. They would draw close and then Anna would push them apart. I wanted to shout at her to "Give in already!" but, of course, I couldn't. The one thing that slowed down my reading time was the "slang of the cove". There was such a pronounced accent in the writing style that I found myself picking my way through sentences slowly. This may not bother some but it was a tiny snag in things for me. Other than that, I found the story to be enjoyable. I will be reading the other books in this series later on so that says something for the quality of the book. I did like this book and, if you want a good story for some summer reading, I recommend it.

This was a sweet relaxing read. I enjoyed the author's gentle style of writing, which was perfect for such a sweet tale.

My favorite character was Simon, because I thought that he was very well written, from the very first time he popped onto the scene I felt that I understood him.

I admired Anna's determination to prove herself to her brother, especially since she chose a remote mountain community to do it!

I thought that this story had a great message about trusting your future to God--something that we all know is hard to do!

Overall, this was a book with many characters and a nice community feel to it. There were times when I felt that the book moved a bit slow for my taste, but I thought that it was very well written. I liked the way that Simon and Anna's relationship moved along, and a loved how looks weren't the only thing that made the first impression :) I book that is great for lovers of sweet romance, who like a few things to think about :)

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!